This invention relates to a convalescent aid for assisting persons who are partially incapacitated but still have the use of their arms and hands. More specifically, the invention relates to a convalescent aid by which partially incapacitated individuals may obtain leverage with their arms to assist in sitting down or standing up.
A person who is convalescing or who has been partially incapacitated due to, for example, an injury, disease, or as a consequence of old age may require assistance in sitting down or standing up from an elevated surface, such as a bed or sofa. The present invention is intended to provide such assistance to those persons who, although partially incapacitated, still have use of their hands and arms and, with such assistance, are able to move between a standing position and a sitting position.
As described more fully to follow, a convalescent aid incorporating the principles of the invention is light in weight, compact and simple and inexpensive in construction and use. Such aid includes a pair of parallel spaced-apart handles or branch portions which may be grasped by the user to support his or her body weight while sitting down or standing up. In the preferred embodiment, a light-weight, portable, compact and adjustable tubular construction is provided. In one embodiment, an aid incorporating the principles of the present invention can be positioned for use on an elevated substantially flat surface such as on top of a bed, for example. In an alternate embodiment, the aid may be provided with extended front legs which extend down to the floor, thereby providing a more stable support for the user's weight. In both of the described embodiments, expansion means may be provided whereby the distance between the parallel handles may be adjusted to accommodate the individual requirements of the user. Similarly, the front legs of the aid may be provided with extension means to vary their respective lengths for the purpose of enhancing the overall utility of the aid and for the purpose of providing the user with an optimum degree of comfort, as more fully explained to follow.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention.